SKT Expands Virtual Content with XR-Focused 'Team Studio'

by Oh Suyon

Published 10 Feb.2023 09:47(KST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom announced on the 9th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ‘Virtual Production Education’ together with the Korean Film Council and virtual production specialist company XON Studio.

This MOU aims to contribute to the advancement of the film industry by educating Korean filmmakers on how to utilize LED wall-based virtual production studios, an advanced film production technique.

Kim Hyuk, SKT Media Partnership Manager (right), Park Ki-yong, Chairman of the Korean Film Council (center), and Jang Won-ik, CEO of XON Studio (left), are signing a business agreement. Photo by SKT

At the MOU signing ceremony held at the Korean Film Council’s Film Education Support Center, representatives from the three organizations, including Kim Hyuk, SKT Media Partnership Manager, Park Ki-yong, Chairman of the Korean Film Council, and Jang Won-ik, CEO of XON Studio, pledged active cooperation for the success of the ‘Virtual Production Education’ program.

The education will be conducted by SKT’s Team Studio, specialized in extended reality (XR), a key aspect of virtual production, and XON Studio, a virtual production specialist company focused on ICVFX (In-Camera Visual Effects) and vehicle driving scene filming.

Participants will be selected by the Korean Film Council from among filmmakers interested in content production using virtual production, including directing, planning/production, cinematography, lighting, and art departments, with a total of 10 people chosen. The ‘Virtual Production Education’ will be conducted over eight weeks.

The curriculum includes various training on scene direction using the ICVFX (In-Camera VFX) method, as well as practical exercises involving the production of short films under five minutes utilizing virtual production.

SKT plans to showcase the produced content through its AI platform, ‘A. tv’.

The three organizations expect that filmmakers participating in the education will experience the advantages of virtual production and lead the adoption and spread of this technology in future film production. After the first session, the decision to conduct additional education will be based on participants’ feedback.

Kim Hyuk, SKT Media Partnership Manager, said, “This will be a well-structured education program where participants can directly create video content using virtual production through theory and practice,” adding, “It will activate the virtual production ecosystem in the Korean film industry.”

Park Ki-yong, Chairman of the Korean Film Council, stated, “To enhance the competitiveness of Korean cinema, it is crucial to train personnel who can quickly respond to advanced film production environments,” and added, “We will continue to focus on strengthening filmmakers’ capabilities in advanced film production education.”

Jang Won-ik, CEO of XON Studio, said, “Through this MOU, we will develop education that introduces highly practical virtual production techniques applicable to actual film sets,” and added, “We will do our best to make virtual production a key pillar in the growth of the film industry.”